The pair will read excerpts from "Dear Eva," a play written by Ladnier and Janensch who used real letters from World War II about an American family growing up in extraordinary times of turmoil. The reading is part of the Quinnipiac creative writing program's "Yawp!" series, an open dialogue on creativity and the arts.

A Los Angeles native, Ladnier co-wrote "Dear Eva" after volunteering in 2004 at the USO of Metropolitan New York, a service center which offers a home away from home for U.S. military personnel and their families.

Ladnier, a graduate of Mills College and Harvard University, works as a securities compliance consultant. She is a board member of Lyndhurst, a property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Beardsley Zoo. She also serves on the President's Advisory Council of the national Wildlife Federation.

Janensch, of Bridgeport, is a writing adjunct for Ireland's Great Hunger Museum at Quinnipiac in Hamden. He has a bachelor's in philosophy from Georgetown University and a master's in journalism from Columbia University.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 203-582-8652.